Located in Jackson, Wyoming, this three-unit residential structure is  designed to look like a single-family home and fit into the existing neighborhood character. While the overall form is more traditional, one of the building's key design elements is inspired by snow fences - a ubiquitous feature along Wyoming highways that keep windblow snow off the roads. Here, the snow fence manifests as a cedar screen which peels away from the street-facing façade to signify the entry point to the building and provide shading and privacy to interior spaces.

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The site design is kept simple and clean, pulling angles and geometry off the building facade to reinforce edges of plant beds. Preserving two large, healthy aspen trees at the front entry was priority over replanting, and the streetfront is further enhanced by additional aspen and street trees. Native grasses and flowering perennials fill the plant beds which soften the appearance of the architecture. 

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A major design challenge for both the architecture and site was bringing as much light into the basement unit as possible. Traditional window wells were replaced by sloped boulder fields that feel like a rockslide stopped just short of spilling into the basement windows. Few native plants grow between the crevices, providing seasonal interest and softening the slope. From the ground level and upper deck, the boulder feature provides a visual and physical separation from the adjacent sidewalk - allowing the backyard to feel more intimate and buffered from people passing by.  

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Project in collaboration with Untitled Architecture